Italian Fondue

Posted on October 16, 2013 by jacky grace

I was just struggling to come up with a name for this dish and I was thinking about the elements. Melty cheese, marinara, prosciutto… all the best Italian flavors. So… Italian fondue!

This is the most fantastic thing for watching the Broncos take on the Colts on Sunday Night Football, or, more immediately, for the Rangers taking on the Caps. (Note the Advil on the counter below. Necessary when watching the Rangers)

This is a super easy dish and is really more of a game day snack than it is an actual dinner. But, hey, add a side salad and it’s a meal. In my book, a salad turns anything into a meal.

For this dish you will need, marinara (jarred or homemade), mozzarella, prosciutto and crusty bread for dipping.

In ramekins, layer the marinara

The prosciutto

And the mozzarella. Pop under the broiler for 5-10 minutes until the cheese melts, tear off some bread and dunk!

Wings and Football. Because, well, why not?

Posted on October 15, 2013 by jacky grace

I’m into football.

I love a good game (like that Saints Patriots one on Sunday!) and I love the whole football culture- you know Sunday lazily loafing on the couch that really isn’t you being a lump because, you know, you’re watching the game. And let’s face it, Football snacks are the best.

One food that I think is inextricably linked with football has got to be wings.

Heck there was a wing shortage during the Superbowl not too long ago!

But here’s the thing. I hate Buffalo wings. I don’t what it is. There’s something in Buffalo sauce that just makes me wrinkle my nose and say no thanks. Me saying no thanks to food is rare.

So when I make wings, this is the recipe I use. It puts Buffalo sauce to shame. Sorry Buffalo.

And the flavors are so interesting and complex that it feels a little more … I don’t know… sophisticated? You know, so you can break out the china while you wear your jersey and scream at the TV.

Anyway. The sauce.

The sauce requires a bit of a history lesson.

It sounds really, really weird at first.

So I’m going to preface it by saying that this sauce won a contest in Delaware for best chicken recipe. My dad’s from Delaware. The chicken is the state bird (University of Delaware’s mascot is the blue hen). Delaware ran a contest where people submitted their best chicken recipes. This was the winner.

My great aunt Jane made the recipe for the family and we’ve continued to make it since.

SO here it is. Chopped garlic, spicy mustard, soy sauce and white wine.

I have no idea the amounts. I totally go by taste. But I tend to go fairly equal on the soy sauce and the wine and a little more on the mustard. It depends on your taste and the flavor you want to be the most prominent.

(As a side note, I didn’t have white wine and didn’t know that until I had already started mixing oops! I used red instead this time and it may actually be better. But I wanted to give you the recipe the right way. Try both, see which you prefer!)

So mix, the ingredients up in a large bowl. You’re going to have to rely on your tongue here. Add an mix until you like the flavor.

Next, dunk your cleaned and dried wings into the bowl and get those hands in there and mix them all around. You want them thoroughly coated.

Spread them out on a foil-lined cookie sheet and back at 400 for 45 minutes to an hour.

I promise you these are better than any wings in any sports bar. You won’t believe we didn’t fry them. The soy sauce gives you such a rich savory flavor and the spicy mustard is reminiscent of the spice in buffalo wings. And the wine is a nice hint of complexity.

I made these for Superbowl last year and we just nommed on wings and chips.

If you want to turn this into a well-balanced meal, add some greens and potatoes.

Here were our sides:

Sauteed escarole with garlic and prosciutto and roasted potatoes with garlic and thyme.

For the escarole, blanch your washed and chopped escarole in a large pot of oiling water. Drain, the sautee with olive oil, salt, pepper and prosciutto. The prosciutto does the same for escarole as say bacon would do for collard greens.

For the potatoes, we used these little red and white and purple guys.

Slice them in half and toss them in a baking dish with some sliced onions, garlic, olive oil and thyme. Bake alongside the wings for about 40 minutes.

Cream of Mushroom Soup – Or First Meal After a Cold!

Posted on October 14, 2013 by jacky grace

You know when you have a cold?

And you can’t breathe through your nose?

And because you can’t breathe through your nose, you can’t appreciate the delicious cooking smells in the kitchen?

And because you can’t appreciate the smells, you can’t savor the tastes?

Yup. That’s where I was all of last week.

I was cooking, because, well, a girl (and more importantly, her fiance, has to eat). But I wasn’t enjoying the process as much as I usually do. And so, I didn’t feel like writing about food.

But, thankfully, yesterday, I woke up and I was able to take a deep breath through my nose!

I was excited to be able to breathe and to smell, and of course, to eat.

Not just eat. Savor.

I started thinking about what to make as soon as I woke up and I kept heading back to childhood comforts.

One of my favorite foods growing up was Mushroom Soup. And not just any mushroom soup, but that cream of mushroom that could be found at Pal’s Cabin.

Pal’s Cabin was an amazing little restaurant in my hometown that served up the most amazing cream of mushroom soup. Ever. How amazing? So amazing that my parents had it served at their wedding.

When I was sick, mom or dad would stop by Pals and pick up a container to bring home for me.

But living in New York, that’s not an option. Actually, even if I were home it wouldn’t be an option. Pals Cabin closed recently.

That thought made me realize I had a mission. I had to make a cream of mushroom soup that would be a stand in for my childhood cure for all ailments.

And so, here’s my mushroom soup recipe.

You will need

1 package white button mushrooms
1 package mixed mushrooms (mine had oyster, cremini, porcini and shiitake)
1 small red onion
2 cloves of garlic
a few sprigs of thyme
4 cups vegetable broth
1/4 cup heavy cream
olive oil
salt
pepper

Wash your mushrooms, chop them up into bite-sized pieces and toss them into a heavy-bottomed soup pot with some olive oil.

Sautee over medium heat until browned.

While the mushrooms cook, chop the red onion and the garlic.

You don’t want to let the mushrooms brown too much. Just enough that they have a little bit of a head start. Then add in the onion and garlic, a few sprigs of thyme and some salt and pepper.

Let everything cook until the onions are nice and soft and the mushrooms are browned.

Add in the vegetable broth and let the liquid come to a boil. The simmer for about 20 minutes or so.

Right before serving, add in the heavy cream and let it warm for a minute or two. There’s just enough cream to make the recipe have that taste of richness, but not too much that it overwhelms the mushroomy flavor.

Serve up in big bowls. Breathe in the earthy broth and savor the taste as it slides down your throat.

Butternut Squash Risotto

Posted on October 10, 2013 by jacky grace

Risotto.

MMM.

That word conjures so many thoughts. I instantly think of all the amazing risottos I’ve had at restaurants.

That’s right. At restaurants. Because until now, I’ve always watched chefs make risotto and thought, fussy, time consuming, so easy to mess up.

And then. I found this little gem on Martha Stewart. Instead of standing over the stove and slowly adding liquid, everything goes in a pot and into the oven! This was itty bitty city kitchen style risotto.

And butternut squash is in season right now, so this is the perfect way to use that yummy fall vegetable!

Martha’s recipe uses kale and thyme, but I tweaked it slightly:

1 shallot, diced,
2 garlic cloves, diced
1.5 cups arborio rice
white wine
1 butternut squash
4 cups vegetable broth
olive oil
salt
pepper

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

In a fairly large (all of the ingredients are going in it) oven-safe pot, drizzle some olive oil and add the shallots and the garlic.

When the shallot has softened, add the rice. Cook for 3-5 minutes to toast, stirring constantly.

When the rice is toasted, add in about a half cup of white wine. Season the rice with salt and pepper and let cook until the wine is reduced.

Meanwhile, peel and dice your butternut squash

The dump the squash and the vegetable stock into the pot and give it a good stir.

Bake, covered, for about 25-30 minutes, until all of the liquid is absorbed.

Dish out into big bowls and top with parmesan cheese.

Oven risotto? Life changing.

Baked Eggs with Peppers and Tomatoes

Posted on October 9, 2013 by jacky grace

In an oven-safe pot, sautee two green bell peppers, diced and half a white onion, chopped in some olive oil until soft.

Add two tomatoes, chopped, salt, pepper and some smoked paprika and stir. Let this cook for about 10-15 minutes.

If you don’t have an oven safe pot or skillet, transfer the mixture to a 9 x 13 baking dish. Make 4 little divots in the vegetable mixture and crack an egg into each divot.

Bake until the eggs are set (about 15 minutes.

To serve, spoon a dollop of ricotta onto your plate and top with the vegetable and egg mixture.

I’m a sucker for a runny yolk!

Mom’s Meatballs

Posted on October 8, 2013 by jacky grace

Sundays at my house always meant two things: football and meatballs.

Mom would get up early and the whir of the blender would reach my ears through the blankets. The smell of gravy would make its way up the stairs and under my bedroom door. It would follow me to the shower and mingle with the smell of my vanilla body wash.

The smell of meatballs and gravy would take over the whole house, and, no matter how chilly or rainy of a fall day it may be, it would give the house a cozyness. A warm blanket wrapped around you as you padded around the living room.

And a bowl of meatballs with some bread was the perfect food to cheer on your team or to drown your sorrows when the Giants start the season at 0 and 5.

So at long last, here they are, mom’s meatballs.

My mom makes the best meatballs. Period.

I know there’s these trendy places like the Meatball Shop that do all sorts of combinations of meats and ingredients. But you know what, mom’s are better. You know why? Because they are simple and simple food is always the best.

Mom’s meatballs have just three ingredients: ground beef, Italian seasoned bread crumbs and an egg.

Her gravy has two ingredients and one secret (I’ll get to the secret later): 1 can of tomato puree and 1 can of crushed tomatoes.

The only other thing you need is vegetable oil for frying the meatballs. No baking allowed here!

Ready?

Get out a big pot and have it ready on the stove.

Pour your can of crushed tomatoes into the blender and buzz. Why buy crushed tomatoes only to blend them up? I don’t know. Never questioned my mom on this. If you had her gravy you wouldn’t question either.

Pour the blended crushed tomatoes into the big pot with the can of tomato puree. I usually add like a 1/3 of a can of water if it looks to thick.

Okay, that stays in the pot while we make the meatballs.

In a large bowl, add 1 pound of ground beef and one egg and mix to begin combining.

Make a well in the center of the meat and pour in some bread crumbs.

Now, this is really not a measuring recipe. This is a feel recipe. You want enough bread crumbs to soak up the egg, but not too much that the meatballs are dry and dense. Start with a small amount and add as you mix.

Also, be careful not to overmix, because you’ll get a tough meatball.

When the meat is mixed, roll into balls and place the meatballs in a frying pan with a thin layer of vegetable oil. Meatball rolling trick: slightly wet hands with warm water.

Fry the meatballs over medium heat, turning to brown all sides. You aren’t going to cook the meatballs all the way through, that will happen in the gravy later.

You just want the meatballs nice and brown on all sides.

Go in batches if you need to. You don’t want to overcrowd the pan. As the meatballs are browned, drop them into the pot of gravy.

When all the meatballs are added, turn the heat to medium low and let the meatballs cook in the gravy.

Also, here’s the secret.

See that?

That’s the oil we fried the meatballs in. And all the little brown bits from the meatballs. That goes in the pot of gravy with the meatballs. Stir.

Let the meatballs cook in the pot of gravy for a few hours. Figure 5 or 6. Stir occasionally so the meatballs don’t drop to the bottom and burn.

The longer the better. The next day is even better. Though I’m not at all suggesting you wait an entire day to eat them. Nobody has that kind of willpower.

You can make pasta and top it off with the gravy and some meatballs. Or you can just fill up a bowl with meatballs and gravy and grab some crusty bread.

Steak Sandwiches – Cooked by the Fiance!

Posted on October 2, 2013 by poulosc

So I’ve been a little stressed lately. And a little overwhelmed.

So this post is brought to you by my wonderful fiance who kicked an amazing dinner the other night. I actually admitted that it was better than some of my dinners.

This is inspired by something we saw Giada make on Saturday morning.

So, here it is, the steak sandwich recipe inspired by Giada and brought to you by the best man on earth.

Chop 3 onions

and put in pot with olive oil, salt, pepper, a little sugar and herbs to provence. turn on medium heat and let them caramelize.

slice 2 green peppers in half, remove seeds, and place on tray, skin side up.

broil for 10-15 minutes.

cover with aluminum foil after removing from the oven for another 15 minutes to cool and steam.

them remove the skin using your hands.

slice the peppers and add them to the onions with 2 cloves of chopped garlic

cook for another few minutes till peppers soften

remove everything and put on a plate.

slice up a slab of steak (I used skirt steak b/c it has good fat and flavor, but you can use rib eye for the same reason) into strips.

add a little olive oil to the pot, and fry the steak

until brown with a little salt and pepper

add the onion and pepper mixture back into the pot and let simmer on low stirring occasionally for 5 minutes. then ready to serve.

serve on rolls – hollow out the rolls a bit, spread some marinara sauce on the roll and add a slice of provolone.

microwave or broil the rolls for a minute to melt the cheese,

add the steak mixture

close the sammich and press down to meld flavors.

NOM

the end.

Pesto

Posted on September 27, 2013 by poulosc

Pesto is something that should be in your itty bitty city kitchen arsenal.

It’s a super simple sauce to whip up to toss over pasta or to use as a sandwich spread. Hello tomato, mozzarella and pesto for lunch!

It’s even great to set out in a bowl with some crostini for a cocktail party.

I’ve posted before about parsley pesto, but I haven’t made the traditional basil one yet.

You can make pesto out of any leafy thing really. I’ve done spinach, parsley, mint, and various combinations. On my to try list is a mushroom pesto I saw in a cook book.

I think one of the points of debate when it comes to pesto is nuts. Do you put them in at all? And what kinds do you use? The traditional approach is to add pine nuts. But I’ve also seen a lot of people use walnuts. I used pistachios in my parsley post.

I don’t really like pine nuts, so I leave them out of my basil pesto.

I love basil and I love the clean crisp taste it has, so I like to do as little to it as possible.

Basically, add a bunch of basil, two garlic cloves and some olive oil into the food processor and buzz away.

Look at that color!

Sprinkle in some parmesan and give it another quick whir and you are in business.

Boil up some water and toss in your pasta of choice. I like bow ties with pesto because the sauce can get stuck in all the little folds.

A little trick: if your pesto is too thick, add a spoonful or two of pasta water to thin it out. The starch in the water will prevent the sauce from getting too runny.

French Bistro at Home – French Onion Soup

Posted on September 24, 2013 by poulosc

There are few things in life for which I have patience.

French Onion soup is one of them.

It’s not a particularly complicated recipe, but it’s one you can’t rush. I’ve tried to speed up the process of browning the onions, or have not browned them for a sufficiently long enough time, and the results are just not the same.

If you really give it the time it needs in the pot, you will be comparing yours to the best bistro’s in town.

It’s a recipe that’s made from very simple ingredients, but that have a huge impact when cooked properly.

You will need

5 yellow onions, sliced into thin strips
4 cups chicken broth, low sodium so you can control the salt
olive oil
salt
pepper
herbs de provence
a teaspoon of sugar (trust me)

Break out your heavy-bottomed soup pot. You’ll notice that I use this pot a lot. It’s one of those things that’s worth investing in up front because it will more than pay for itself in the long run. I actually got mine at Home Goods for a super reasonable price. So there are deals to be had.

Drizzle the bottom with olive oil. Resist the temptation to dump all the onions into the pot. Add only about half.

Let them start to cook and turn translucent and sweat a bit. Once they’ve released some liquid, sprinkle with half a teaspoon of sugar. The sugar will help the onions brown and caramelize – the key to French onion soup.

When the onions have cooked down some, as in the above, toss in the remaining onion ribbons. Give the pot a big stir so the new onions are on the bottom of the pot.

Give another sprinkle of sugar and stir again.

You’re going to want to stir every once in a while so the browned onions are brought to the top, allowing the rest of the onions to brown on the bottom of the pot.

Not going to lie, this takes some time. You want the onions to take on the rich dark brown color you see below.

Once they are that lovely color, season with salt, pepper and herbs de provence and pour in the chicken stoc k. Stir and let the pot simmer for about thirty minutes.

Top off your bowl with crusty bread and a healthy sprinkling of gruyere.

And there you have it – French bistro food you can eat in your pjs.

Bolognese

Posted on September 23, 2013 by poulosc

I’ve come to a theory recently about cooking. If your mother is a fabulous cook, you either 1. learn all her secrets and turn out to be an equally fabulous cook or 2. you avoid the kitchen at all costs – your mom’s a fabulous cook you will never compare.

I wouldn’t say I fall into the second camp, but I will say it took me a bit longer to blossom into a cook myself because mom’s food was so good, why would I want to make something for myself?

Now that I’m on my own, I cook with reckless abandon. But I do find myself a little hesitant when it comes to the traditional family recipes.

My mom makes the best meatballs and gravy.

I’ve been trying to replicate hers, but haven’t been able to get the texture quite right. Something’s different. I don’t know, maybe it’s the pot.

So instead of recreating her meatballs, I decided I’d go my own way and come up with a meat sauce recipe or bolognese.

I don’t remember, growing up, mom ever making something like this, so I am relieved of the fear of my dish not standing up to hers.

You will need

1 small yellow onion, diced
2 stalk of celery, chopped
1 carrot, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, diced
1 pound ground beef
1 28oz can tomato puree
olive oil
salt
pepper

Drizzle a heavy bottomed pan with olive oil and toss in the carrot, celery and onion.

Let the veggies cook over medium heat for about 10-15 minutes. You want them to soften and for the onions to turn translucent. When this happens, add in the garlic and let cook for anothe rten minutes or so.

Add the ground beef to the pot, breaking it up with a wooden spoon and incorporating the veggies into the meat.

Let the meat thoroughly brown. This should take maybe another ten minutes. Be sure to stir so the meat browns on all sides. Season with salt and lots of black pepper.

Pour in a can of tomato puree. Give a big stir and add more black pepper. Let this bubble for about 15 minutes. You can let it go for longer if you want to make this in the morning and serve for dinner later.

When you’re ready to serve, boil up a pot of water and cook a good sturdy pasta. I used rigatoni. You can use fettucini or penne or any other pasta with a bit of heft. This is not the dish for angel hair.

Top the pasta with the meat sauce

And of course it wouldn’t be a pasta dinner without a sprinkle of parmesan.

Itty Bitty City Kitchen

tiny kitchen, BIG CULINARY ASPIRATIONS

Category Archives: Weeknight, One or 2 Pot Wonders

Italian Fondue

Wings and Football. Because, well, why not?

Cream of Mushroom Soup – Or First Meal After a Cold!

Butternut Squash Risotto

Baked Eggs with Peppers and Tomatoes

Mom’s Meatballs

Steak Sandwiches – Cooked by the Fiance!

Pesto

French Bistro at Home – French Onion Soup

Bolognese